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Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy delivered an incredible comeback drive at the team’s home race in qualifying, as he will start the London finale with the Julius Baer Pole Position. In emotional scenes, the Kiwi championship contender closes the gap to his two rivals ahead by just four points and keeps the title battle alive until the last race of the season later today.
RESULTS: See the full standings for the 2023/24 Drivers' World Championship
Cassidy sits third in the standings, but the three points for pole means he has 176 points, and is just behind Mitch Evans (Jaguar) and Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) who will start third and fourth on the grid, respectively.
It was a huge result for Cassidy and the team, not just for the championship fight, but also as they suffered several complications in the lead up to the qualifying event. Both cars had issues during practice earlier today, with Cassidy unable to set a lap time after a brake-by-wire problem emerged and Evans with a damaged roll bar on his I-TYPE 6. Nevertheless, they gave it their all to get a car on the first and second row of the grid.
HISTORY: Looking back through Formula E's key moments
Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther was also a star in the session, and he will line-up second and alongside Cassidy ahead of the race. The German had an amazing climb of nine places during yesterday’s race, and was running in second when his car hit a gearbox problem and saw him retire. He’ll be hoping he can end the season on a high with a podium result.
It’s all to play for in the last race of Season 10, with three titles to decide: Drivers’, Teams’ and Manufacturers. Make sure you don’t miss it, with lights out at 17:00 local time.
As it happened...
Final
The last battle saw Cassidy get his first pole position of the season, one year on from his last first place grid slot which was here in the second London race too. Cassidy won the second race from pole here last year, and added an additional three points to his championship tally.
Both Cassidy and Guenther put on an amazing show in front of the British fans, but it was the Jaguar driver who emerged ahead.
Semi Finals
First and third in the championship battled each other, but only one could get through to the front row of the grid. It was Nick Cassidy who emerged ahead, despite being told his brake-by-wire issue looked to return. The Jaguar driver has only had one front row start this season, which was in Berlin, and no pole position.
The last spot in the Final was with Mitch Evans and Maximilian Guenther, but it was the Maserati MSG Racing who prevented Evans from taking back-to-back pole positions. Regardless of Evans’ result, it meant that all three championship contenders will be in the top four on the grid!
Quarter Finals
First up was Wehrlein and Sam Bird, with the championship leader taking the spot in the Semis. Wehrlein finishes the season with the most Duel stage appearances out of the grid, only missing out on three Duels across the whole of the year. Bird has not started in the top four in London since Battersea Park 2015, the final race of Season 1, and would continue that record today.
Next was Nick Cassidy and Envision’s Robin Frijns, with the Jaguar driver throwing his car around this London street circuit and driving up on the kerbs! Cassidy took pole for the second London last year, and went quicker than Frijns in this Quarter Final to try and fight for pole again one season on. Frijns also ended the year with a streak of four straight Duel appearances.
Mitch Evans beat Stoffel Vandoorne, as the two all-time leaders in Duel appearances – with 30 each – faced each other. Evans has never taken consecutive pole positions in his Formula E career, but could have a chance of that today.
Finally, it was a battle of STELLANTIS powertrains with Maximilian Guenther and Jean-Eric Vergne. It was super close, but in the end it was Guenther who went quickest. He has never started in the top-five at ExCeL, and lost his last 4 Quarter Finals Duels, but was on a great run today.
Group A
Everyone was quick to get laps in at the start of the session, with Nick Cassidy going top of the timesheets. Despite his struggles and failing to set a time in Free Practice 3, Cassidy looked quick in the early stages and eventually topped the timesheets in his group. “Best job I have ever done in Formula E,” he said over the radio.
Behind him Pascal Wehrlein finished in second, with NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird in third. Robin Frijns had to take a trip to hospital on Saturday after a race-ending crash, but was back and rapid, sending himself through to the Duels.
Several big names dropped out, including home heroes Oliver Rowland (Nissan) who ended the qualifying group in fifth. Reigning champion, Andretti’s Jake Dennis, also had a challenging final quali of the season and finished down in 11th – bottom of the group.
Group B
Mitch Evans was not happy with the set-up of his car during Group B, complaining about the front-end of his Jaguar. However, he finished the session in second and made it through to the Duels for a to join his Jaguar teammate Cassidy in the fight for pole.
Maximilian Guenther finished the session quickest, as he set an impressive last lap to go top. He got two purple sectors on an earlier lap, but went in too deep in the third and final sector to ruin the run. Nevertheless, he gave it another go and went top.
Both DS PENSKEs also made it through to the Duels, with the big story being Antonio Felix da Costa missing out by finishing in fifth. The Porsche driver is now out of championship contention after his crash yesterday with Oliver Rowland, but won’t be able to assist his teammate Wehrlein when it’s time for lights out as he starts further back.